VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHSJ #0727 2371424
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 251424Z AUG 09
FM AMEMBASSY SAN JOSE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1154
INFO RUEHBS/AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS 0228
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0840
RUEHUNV/USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA 0014
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 0343

UNCLAS SAN JOSE 000727 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT FOR WHA/CEN; ISN/MNSA; 
GENEVA FOR CD; UNVIE FOR IAEA; USUN/POL; USNATO/POL; 
USEU/POL 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KNNP AORC ENRG MNUC PARM PGOV PREL UNGA
SUBJECT: THE NUCLEAR NONPROLIFERATION TREATY REVIEW 
CONFERENCE: COSTA RICA'S VIEWS 
 
REF: SECSTATE 83600 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary:  Costa Rica, which abolished its military 
over fifty years ago, considers itself a leader on 
non-proliferation and disarmament issues.  President Oscar 
Arias recently wrote an op-ed piece in the Washington Post 
calling for the abolition of all Latin American militaries. 
Costa Rica has long called for international disarmament and 
has strongly supported efforts to halt Iranian and North 
Korean efforts to acquire nuclear weapons.  However, due in 
part to historical differences with its neighbors, Costa Rica 
is often only minimally effective in persuading others on 
disarmament issues. End Summary 
 
¶2. (U) Per reftel, we met with Costa Rican MFA Disarmament 
officials Carlos Cordero and Randolph Coto on August 19 to 
discuss GOCR views on non-proliferation issues.  According to 
Cordero, the GOCR is committed to the Comprehensive Nuclear 
Test Ban Treaty, the Fissile Material Cutoff Treaty, and the 
Non-Proliferation Treaty, and welcomes the "reinvigorated" 
U.S.-Russian arms control efforts.  The GOCR "believes not 
only in horizontal disarmament, but also the vertical 
disarmament of all countries."  The destruction of not just 
nuclear but also conventional weapons, including chemical and 
biological arms, is a high priority for the GOCR. 
 
¶3. (U) The MFA is the lead agency within the GOCR on 
non-proliferation issues and Cordero and Coto specifically 
head up the MFA disarmament office.  FM Bruno Stagno is 
deeply involved in guiding arms control issues and the MFA 
issues directives to its Mission in New York on various 
non-proliferation issues.  Costa Rica is currently the 
co-president of the Preparatory Commission for the 
Comprehensive Nulcear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization, a 
founding member of the Oslo Process of February 2007, and a 
member of the Executive Committee of the Organization for the 
Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. 
 
¶4. (U) Costa Rica is a member of the Group of 77 (but not the 
Nonaligned Movement), however, on arms control issues they 
operate independently of the G77 or any regional 
organizations (OAS, SICA, etc).  Their missions abroad 
generally receive direct instructions from the Costa Rican 
MFA on non-proliferation issues, as the GOCR puts such an 
emphasis on these issues. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Comment: Costa Rica is an eager partner on 
non-proliferation issues, and has long tried to serve as a 
regional and international leader on disarmament in general. 
However, in part due to regional perceptions of Costa Rican 
arrogance, Costa Rica is often limited in its ability to 
influence regional partners.  This has been shown most 
recently by the near-complete silence over Arias' call for 
the demilitarization of Latin America.  Costa Rica often sees 
itself as an 'exception' within Central America, and many of 
its neighbors tend to agree.  However, this sometimes stunts 
Costa Rica's capacity to lead within the region on 
international issues, including disarmament. 
WILSON